The socio-economic challenges caused by ageing populations, are encouraging many countries to re-evaluate the place of older people in society and to adopt measures to encourage active ageing. Brazil and the UK will have similar proportions of people aged 60 or over as a percentage of the total population by 2050. As a consequence of this, changes to retirement policies in the UK and Brazil, aim to make the welfare system more financially sustainable. It is therefore relevant to study the retirement patterns of occupational groups where their members hold specialised skills, knowledge and have the scope to remain active for longer. This study aims to compare the transition to retirement of academics and their experiences of professional continuity thereafter, in Brazil and the UK. A mixed methods approach combining an on-line survey and in-depth narrative interviews was used to address the research questions. The study found that among Brazilian and UK retired academics there was a desire for a continuity of professional identity, and most tended to experience some professional continuity following retirement. How the retirees engaged in academic activities varied among individuals; the amount of activities usually related to time in retirement, age and health status. It was noted that in the UK there was more scope for alternative retirement arrangements than in Brazil. Life satisfaction in retirement was associated with financial stability, enhanced freedom and the possibility to actively use academic skills and knowledge. The findings suggest that universities’ retirement policies should be made more transparent and, in some cases, reviewed. Additionally, retirees should be encouraged to prepare for retirement to facilitate their adjustment. It is suggested that future research should investigate the retirement of women in academia, the retirement policies of universities and the retirement of academics in other countries.

by Yuen Yiu Keung. / Includes questionaire in Chinese. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-172). / "LIST OF CONTENTS, TABLES AND FIGURES" --- p.4 / ABSTRACT --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.13 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Method --- p.23 / Chapter I. --- Research Design --- p.23 / Chapter II. --- Sampling Procedure and Sample Size --- p.23 / Chapter 1. --- Sample Sources --- p.23 / Chapter 2. --- Sampling Procedure --- p.24 / Chapter III. --- Data Collection --- p.28 / Chapter 1. --- Questionnaire Construction --- p.28 / Chapter 2. --- Pilot Study --- p.29 / Chapter 3. --- Content of Questionnaire --- p.29 / Chapter 4. --- Training of Interviewers --- p.31 / Chapter 5. --- Collection of Data --- p.32 / Chapter 6. --- Validity and Reliability --- p.33 / Chapter IV. --- Data Analysis --- p.33 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- The Sociodemographic and Health Profiles of the Hong Kong Old-OLD --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1 --- Age and Sex Distribution of the Respondents --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2 --- "Marital Status, Working Status and Education" --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- Income and Accommodation --- p.39 / Chapter 3.3.1. --- Sources of Income and Major Source of Income --- p.39 / Chapter 3.3.2. --- Personal Monthly Income --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.3. --- Type of Residence --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3.4. --- Household Composition --- p.44 / Chapter 3.4 --- Mental Function --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.1. --- Mental Status --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.2. --- Geriatric Depression Scale --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5 --- Functional Disability --- p.49 / Chapter 3.6 --- Physical Health --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.1. --- Self-Perceived Health --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.2. --- Chronic Disease --- p.54 / Chapter 3.7 --- Physical Impairment --- p.57 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Sensory Perception Problem --- p.57 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Skeletal Problems --- p.61 / Chapter 3.8 --- Cardio-vascular Complaints --- p.65 / Chapter 3.9 --- Respiratory Problems --- p.67 / Chapter 3.10 --- Drug Taking --- p.69 / Chapter 3.11 --- Health Habits --- p.73 / Chapter 3.12 --- Use of Health Services --- p.77 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 / Chapter I.) --- Factors Associated With Functional Dependence --- p.80 / Chapter 4.1 --- Sociodemographic profile by Barthel Index --- p.80 / Chapter 4.1.1. --- "Differences in Age, Sex, Marital Status and Educational Levels" --- p.80 / Chapter 4.1.2. --- "Differences in major income, total monthly income, and household composition" --- p.82 / Chapter 4.2 --- Mental Health Status by Barthel ADL Index --- p.84 / Chapter 4.3 --- Physical Health by Barthel ADL Index --- p.85 / Chapter 4.4 --- Physical Impairment by Barthel Index --- p.87 / Chapter 4.5 --- Drugs Taking by Barthel Index --- p.89 / Chapter 4.6 --- Health Habits by Barthel Index --- p.90 / Chapter 4.7 --- Use of Health Services by Barthel Index --- p.92 / Chapter II.) --- Findings of Risk Factors for Disability --- p.94 / Chapter 4.8 --- Sociodemographic Factors --- p.94 / Chapter 4.9 --- Mental Health --- p.98 / Chapter 4.10 --- Health Status --- p.99 / Chapter 4.11 --- Physical Impairment --- p.101 / Chapter 4.12 --- Drug --- p.104 / Chapter 4.13 --- Health Service --- p.105 / Chapter 4.14 --- Final Regression Model --- p.106 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 / Chapter I.) --- Factors Associated with Institutionalization --- p.109 / Chapter 5.1 --- Sociodemographic profile by Residential Types --- p.109 / Chapter 5.1.1.) --- "Age, Sex, Marital Status and Educational Levels" --- p.109 / Chapter 5.1.2.) --- Major Income and Total Monthly Income --- p.111 / Chapter 5.2 --- Mental Health Status by Residential Types --- p.113 / Chapter 5.3 --- Severity of Functional Disability --- p.114 / Chapter 5.4 --- Physical Health --- p.116 / Chapter 5.5 --- Differences in Physical Impairment --- p.118 / Chapter 5.6 --- Drugs Taking --- p.121 / Chapter 5.7 --- Differences in Health Habits --- p.122 / Chapter 5.8 --- Difference in Use of Health Services --- p.124 / Chapter II.) --- Findings of Risk Factors for Institutionalization --- p.126 / Chapter 5.9.1 --- Sociodemographic Factors --- p.126 / Chapter 5.10 --- Mental Health --- p.128 / Chapter 5.11 --- Physical Dependence --- p.129 / Chapter 5.12 --- Health Status --- p.131 / Chapter 5.13 --- "Physical Impairment Sensory Perception, Skeletal, Cardiac and Respiratory Problems" --- p.133 / Chapter 5.14 --- Drug --- p.136 / Chapter 5.15 --- Health Service --- p.137 / Chapter 5.16 --- Final Regression Model --- p.138 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Limitations of this study --- p.140 / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.151 / Chapter I.) --- Discussion --- p.151 / Chapter II.) --- Conclusion --- p.164 / REFERENCE --- p.165 / LIST OF RESEARCH ASSISTANTS AND INTERVIEWERS --- p.173 / Chapter APPENDIX --- The Questionnaire Used at the Home Interviews / English Version / Chinese Version

Introdução: A manutenção das habilidades cognitivas e funcionais constitui um dos fatores associados à qualidade de vida no envelhecimento. A literatura ainda dispõe de poucos dados a respeito dos fatores associados ao melhor desempenho cognitivo global em idades avançadas. Objetivo: Identificar os fatores associados ao melhor desempenho cognitivo global em idosos sem prejuízo cognitivo do município de São Paulo. Método: Para tanto, foram analisados os dados do Estudo SABE - Saúde e Bem- Estar no Envelhecimento, um estudo multicêntrico, longitudinal e realizado em uma amostra representativa dos idosos residentes no município de São Paulo/SP do ano de 2006. Investigaram-se os idosos sem declínio cognitivo pertencentes a quatro faixas de escolaridade: sem escolaridade, com 1-3 e 4-7 anos e 8 anos de estudo e mais. Entre as três primeiras faixas de escolaridade foram considerados com desempenho cognitivo normal os idosos com pontuação do MEEM classificada no primeiro e segundo terciis e com melhor desempenho aqueles com pontuação dentro do terceiro tercil. Com relação aos idosos com 8 ou mais anos de escolaridade, foram considerados com desempenho normal aqueles com pontuação de 28 e 29 e com melhor desempenho aqueles com pontuação máxima (30 pontos) no MEEM. As variáveis investigadas foram idade; sexo; condição de moradia; estado marital; autopercepção de renda; condições sócio- econômicas e de saúde nos primeiros 15 anos de vida; funcionalidade familiar; sintomas depressivos; doenças crônicas auto-referidas; dificuldades em pelo menos uma ou mais Atividade Básica e Instrumental de Vida Diária (ABVD e AIVD); freqüência de participação em atividades ocupacionais, físicas e relacionadas ao contato social ativo; e freqüência de contatos sociais (familiares e amigos). O grupo de referência para o modelo de regressão logística múltipla foi composto pelos idosos com desempenho normal. Para as análises foi usado um nível de significância de 5 por cento . Resultados: Os idosos com melhor desempenho no MEEM eram mais jovens e a sua maioria referiu morar com alguém no domicílio e possuir um companheiro (a). Aproximadamente metade desse grupo referiu que os rendimentos eram suficientes para cobrir as necessidades diárias. Esses idosos apresentaram menor prevalência de dificuldades nas ABVD e AIVD e elevado nível de participação nas atividades investigadas. No modelo de regressão logística final os idosos com maiores chances de apresentar melhor desempenho referiram ausência de dificuldades nas AIVD, consumo álcool (sem abuso), auto-percepção de que os rendimentos são suficientes para cobrir as necessidades diárias, contato social ativo com familiares e amigos e idade mais jovem / Background: The maintenance of functional and cognitive abilities is one of the factors associated to quality of life during aging. The literature has little data about the factors associated with better cognitive performance in older adults. Objective: To identify factors associated with better global cognitive performance in older adults residents in São Paulo. Method: For this, data from the SABE Study - Health and Wellness in Aging was analyzed, a multicenter and longitudinal research conducted in a representative sample of older adults living in São Paulo/SP in 2006. Older adults without cognitive decline according to four levels of schooling, no schooling, 1 to 3 years, 4 to 7 and 8 years and more were investigated. Among the first three levels of schooling the group of normal cognitive performance were composed to older adults with MMSE scores ranked in the first and second tertiles. The group with better cognitive performance scored in the third tertile. Regard to the older adults with 8 or more years of schooling were considered normal performance score 28 and 29 points and better cognitive performance 30 points on MMSE. The variables examined were age, sex, housing condition, marital status, income perception, socioeconomic health in the first 15 years of life, family functioning, depressive symptoms, self-reported chronic disease; difficulties in at least one or more Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), frequency of participation in group activities, occupational, physical and related to active social contact, and frequency of social contacts (family and friends). Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression models. The reference group for the models consisted of the elderly with normal cognitive performance. The significance level of analysis was 5 per cent (p 0.05). Results: Individuals with better MMSE scores were concentrated in the age group 60 to 74 years and it´s majority reported living with someone at home and have a partner (a). Approximately half of this group was composed of older women and older who reported that revenues were insufficient to meet their daily needs. These older adults had a lower prevalence of difficulties in ADL and IADL and high level of participation in the activities investigated. In the final logistic regression model with the older adults more likely to outperform the absence of reported difficulty in IADL, no excess alcohol consumption (without abuse), self-perception that earnings are sufficient to meet daily needs, active social contact with family and friends and the younger age group

O exercício físico possui papel importante para a qualidade de vida e qualidade física da população em geral e, sobretudo para os idosos, pessoas com possibilidade de obter maiores benefícios com essa prática. Estima-se que o conhecimento sobre esse tema venha sendo divulgado entre as autoridades e os profissionais da área da saúde. Entretanto, especificamente no que se refere à população idosa do município de Ribeirão Preto, não se conhece, com precisão, o grau de conhecimento que possuem acerca do exercício físico, mesmo para as pessoas inseridas em Programas específicos. Assim, este estudo objetivou caracterizar os núcleos dos Programas de Integração Comunitária (PIC) da cidade de Ribeirão Preto, participantes deste estudo, segundo tempo de fundação, atividades realizadas e participação da comunidade; caracterizar os idosos que participam das atividades destes núcleos, segundo variáveis sociodemográficas, condições de saúde, atividade física e avaliação cognitiva; descrever o conhecimento e a percepção desses idosos acerca do exercício físico e correlacionar o conhecimento às variáveis sociodemográficas, econômica, tempo de prática de exercício físico e cognitiva. Trata-se de um estudo observacional, seccional e correlacional. Após a definição dos 22 Núcleos que fizeram parte deste estudo, a amostra foi obtida mediante Amostragem Aleatória Simples (AAS). A coleta de dados foi realizada, no período de janeiro a abril de 2009, nos Núcleos do PIC, após contato telefônico prévio com os representantes destes. Utilizou-se uma adaptação do Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS), o Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e um questionário de avaliação do conhecimento sobre o exercício físico. Foram estudados 142 idosos com média de idade de 68,5 anos; 93% eram mulheres; 49,3% casados e 38,7 viúvos; com média de três filhos; 50,7% estudaram entre um e quatro anos; 54,2% eram aposentados; Com relação à saúde, 54,2% auto-avaliaram a saúde entre Boa e Ótima; evidenciou-se em média 4,45 doenças por idoso. No que se refere aos hábitos de exercício físico, o tempo de prática de exercício físico no PIC foi em média de sete anos; 54.9% três vezes por semana; 42,3% preferem as atividades de intensidade leve e sem impacto, como alongamento; 76,1% indicaram a manutenção da saúde como objetivo desta prática. Quanto a avaliação pelo MEEM, 61,3% apresentaram bom desempenho no teste e o escore médio foi de 26,1 pontos. O escore médio de conhecimento sobre o exercício físico foi de 18 pontos e condizentes com as respostas adequadas. Na analise de regressão linear múltipla houve associação somente entre o conhecimento sobre o exercício físico e a escolaridade. O estudo revelou que os idosos apresentaram nível adequado de conhecimento sobre o exercício físico e, que houve associação entre o conhecimento e o nível de escolaridade. Programas destinados à prática de exercício físico devem ser mantidos e/ou criados, pois podem representar um estímulo ao combate do sedentarismo, principalmente para os idosos. / Physical exercise has an important role for the quality of life and physical quality of the population in general and mainly for elderly people, who can have more benefits from this practice. It is estimate the knowledge about this theme has been published among health professionals and authorities. However, specifically regarding the elderly population of the city of Ribeirão Preto, the degree of knowledge they have about physical exercises is not exactly known, even for people involved in specific Programs. Thus, this observational, cross-sectional and correlational study aimed to characterize the services of the Community Integration Programs (PIC) of the city of Ribeirão Preto, participants of this study, according to services time of existence, activities carried out and community participation; to characterize elderly adults who participate of the services activities, according to sociodemographic variables, health conditions, physical activities and cognitive assessment; to describe the knowledge and perception of these elderly people regarding physical exercises and correlate the knowledge to the time of physical exercise practice, sociodemographic, economic and cognitive variables. The sample was obtained through Simple Random Sampling (SRS), after defining the 22 Services that participated in the study. Data collection was carried out between January and April 2009, at PIC services, after previous telephone contact with the representative of the services. An adaptation of the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a questionnaire to assess knowledge about physical exercise were used. In total, 142 elderly adults participated in the study, with average age of 68.5 years; 93% were female; 49.3% married and 38.7% widower; with an average of three children; 50.7% had studied between one and four years; and 54.2% were retired. Regarding health, 54.2% self-assessed their health as Good or Excellent; on average, 4.45 diseases were evidenced per elderly person. As to physical exercise habits, the time of practice at PIC was on average seven years; 54.9% three times a week; 42.3% prefer low intensity and no-impact activities, such as stretching; 76.1% indicated health maintenance as the practices objective. As to the MEEM assessment, 61.3% presented good performance in the test and scored on average 26.1. The average score of knowledge about physical exercise was 18 points and suitable to adequate answers. The multiple linear regression analysis showed association only between knowledge about physical exercise and educational level. The study revealed that elderly adults presented appropriate level of knowledge about physical exercise and there was association between knowledge and educational level. Programs targeting physical exercise practice should be maintained and/or created, as they can be an incentive to fight the sedentary lifestyle, especially for elderly people.

The abuse of older people is a largely unrecognised and under acknowledged social problem in Australia. My major objective in undertaking the work, which is represented by the original published articles that comprise the thesis, was to make a scholarly and practical contribution toward the minimisation of 'elder abuse. This objective was achieved with the development and implementation of a series of studies that articulated and ameliorated elder abuse in Australia.The thesis provides an erudite synthesis of these studies, which fall into four themes that illustrate the nature and scope of my theoretical and professional work in elder abuse. Much of the work was guided by a conceptual framework of ways of knowing in nursing, and was underpinned by the principles and practice of community development and participatory community-based action processes.The outcomes of these studies include work with three stakeholder groups: professionals who deal with elder abuse, older people who are victims or potential victims of abuse, and those who perpetrate abuse on an older person. The work, illustrated in the four themes, includesthe articulation of elder abuse issues with West Australian aged care workersthe development of elder abuse protocols, policy guidelines and ethical principles, to guide professional practice in abuse prevention and interventionthe design and implementation of participative community programs to empower older people, and their carers, to resist being abused or abusing and to assist perpetrators stop their abusethe amelioration of abuse of nursing home residents by staff.The thesis situates my conceptual and clinical effort within the wider corpus of Australian knowledge and practice on elder abuse and contributes to addressing the social problem of elder abuse within the context of Australian aged care.

The thesis examines the factors that need to be considered in order to undertake successful design of user interfaces for older users. The literature on aging is surveyed for age related changes that are of relevance to interface design. The findings from the literature review are extended and placed in a human context using observational studies of older people and their supporters as these older people attempted to learn about and use computers. These findings are then applied in three case studies of interface design and product development for older users. These case studies are reported and examined in depth. For each case study results are presented on the acceptance of the final product by older people. These results show that, for each case study, the interfaces used led to products that the older people evaluating them rated as unusually suitable to their needs as older users. The relationship between the case studies and the overall research aims is then examined in a discussion of the research methodology. In the case studies there is an evolving approach used in developing the interface designs. This approach includes intensive contribution by older people to the shaping of the interface design. This approach is analyzed and is presented as an approach to designing user interfaces for older people. It was found that a number of non-standard techniques were useful in order to maximize the benefit from the involvement of the older contributors and to ensure their ethical treatment. These techniques and the rationale behind them are described. Finally the interface design approach that emerged has strong links to the approach used by the UTOPIA team based at the university of Dundee. The extent to which the thesis provides support for the UTOPIA approach is discussed.

This narrative inquiry traces and recounts an epiphaffic experience of a registered nurse on entering gerontic nursing, and her subsequent three-decade journey through the complexities and mazes of this nurse specialty. Such inquiry seeks to enable a better understanding of the realities of ageing and caring for older adults by opening up thinking and beliefs underpinning gerontic nursing work. Modern aged healthcare involves complex gerontic nursing actions, requiring highly skilled nursing personnel, but on the whole, gerontic nursing is dimly perceived and misunderstood by professional colleagues and the general public. Much of this misunderstanding is a legacy of an outdated ideology of gerontic nursing; yet these public beliefs, attitudes and interpretations are extremely powerful in determining aged care policy. As the population ages and more elderly people access healthcare services, society will be faced with an array of complex political and socioeconomic factors. This thesis aims to untangle such choices by pursuing the questions of: How have the constructs of ageing impacted on gerontic nursing practice and education?, What type of gerontic nurse will be required to provide future elderly care? and How will these people be educationally prepared for their new roles? Many of the constructs explored are dialectical in nature; that is, they have developed by inner conflict, the scheme of which is thesis and antithesis, or an original tendency and its opposing tendency. Such dialectical thinking has underpinned much of this thesis and in many instances, particularly in chapter 7, has taken the next step to the unification of these opposing tendencies; that is, synthesis, to create new understanding or meaning. Issues explored relate to: the ontology of ageing; the meaning of life; gerontophobia; Australia's changing population profile; changing aged healthcare systems; gerontic nursing cultural dilemmas; workforce planning; elder health in the future and gerontic nursing practice and education shifts. In a theoretical and methodological context, increasing difficulty with conventional epistemologies and the science founded on them is leading nurse theorists ever nearer to a postmodernist position. Narrative becomes a means through which gerontic nursing can accumulate and express cultural knowledge and critique procedure. The thesis exemplifies narrative's profound potential for underpinning the reconceptualisation of gerontic nursing practice and education. It is narrative's capacity to foreground the relationship between daily practice and knowledge that makes it a critical tool for the future of gerontic nursing inquiry. Narrative facilitates the paradigm, or more ontological shift from the dominant medical model of aged healthcare and 'tender loving care' rhetoric, to a therapeutic, caring-healing approach which has been in the margins in gerontic nursing practice. In the context of gerontic nurse education, narrative pedagogy offers new ways of thinking even in the midst of oppressive practices. Many issues remain unresolved about how gerontic nurses can be educated for future gerontic nursing practice. It would seem that aged care in Australia is a site of such organisational and cultural change, it threatens to undermine knowledge, care and understanding and shift care to untrained staff. The thesis illustrates how such approaches cloak much of gerontic nursing practice and devalue the intimate work of caring intelligently, emotionally and physically for frail older adults. However, while such tensions abound in gerontic nursing practice, the 2l~ century offers skilled gerontic nurses the opportunity to become key components in the refigured and redesigned aged healthcare delivery system. Research indicates that because few know enough about the sum of the future to impede well-constructed attempts at engaging in any new model design, taking any action is infinitely better than none. It is on this premise that Chapter seven posits a new model design for residential long-term aged care for older adults, believing that by imagining a different future, it can then be created and become a reality.

In this qualitative, phenomenological study I employed oral history methodology, grounded in a life-span developmental and feminist approach, to explore the developmental importance of menarche in twenty older women's "bodily histories." Menarche is an important developmental event in the female life course because it represents a major point of confluence where the various streams of what it means to be female coalesce. Menarche is not only a biophysical phenomenon originating from inside a girl's body, but is a psychosocial transition as well. Further, menarche is a biopsycho-social event which is shaped by sociocultural and historical discourses and may have life-span developmental implications. Qualitative analyses of the bodily histories revealed that the older women remembered their first menstrual periods very clearly. The women spoke of menarche as an abrupt and disruptive event symbolic of adult fertility and sexuality and surrounded by silence. They associated menarche with the imposition of menstrual taboos and rules of adult femininity which restricted their behaviors. Many of the themes that emerged from the women's memories of menarche were also present in their narratives about subsequent menstrual and menopausal experiences. There was a continuation throughout their menstrual careers of the restrictions on their behaviors as a result of menstrual bleeding; the silence and confusion associated with processes of the female body; and the sexualization of their fertile bodies. Further, there was evidence of a continuity well into later-life of the medicalization of their bodies, as well as their use of language suggestive of a separation between their bodies and their selves. The generalizability of these findings is limited; the study sample was small, homogenous, and self-selected, and the bodily histories were collected retrospectively. Implications of these findings and directions for research, theorizing, and action are discussed. / Graduation date: 1996

Financial management planning styles were investigated with original data collected from 180 unmarried, elderly women with a home economics college background and living alone. Deacon and Firebaugh's (1975, 1988) household management systems theory, continuity theory from gerontology, and the construct of anticipatory socialization from sociology framed the study. Three planning styles named by Buehler and Hogan (1986) as Resource-centered (morphogenic), Goal-centered (morphostatic), and Constrained (random) were identified in the pre- and post-age 60 households. Measures of planning styles were adapted from an original instrument developed by Beard and Firebaugh (1978). Resource-centered planning was characterized as creating, increasing, or substituting resources while maintaining goals; Goal-centered as deleting, modifying, or prioritizing goals while accepting current resources; and Constrained planning as getting by day-by-day. Goal-centered measures were the most descriptive and Constrained measures the least descriptive. Planning style adopted in middle age was significantly related to style in retirement. Resource-centered planning was subject to collapse into Constrained planning. Resource-centered planning was correlated with age (inversely) and pension income; Goal-centered planning with handling finances pre-age 60 and satisfaction with financial management in retirement. Constrained planning was related to lower pre- and post-age 60 income, low level or no participation in planning retirement income and greater likelihood of dissatisfaction with financial practices in retirement. A rehearsal was related to financial management tasks rather than simulation of living alone. Among Constrained planners, the formerly-married were negatively affected by financial experience before age 60 and positively by preparedness and participation in planning retirement income compared to never-married. Many (43 percent) lived alone less than a year before retirement. More had money left over after expenses in retirement (61 percent) than pre-retirement (30 percent). Retirement income had been planned alone or with advice (43 percent), with husband (41 percent), by husband alone (4.5 percent) or not at all (8.5 percent). Eighty percent had anticipated living alone in their later years. Financial planning styles in retirement appear to reflect a pre-retirement rehearsal of family paradigms, financial practices, and planning style. / Graduation date: 1995

There is increasing recognition of the importance of older adults in providing support to and maintaining relationships with their nonkin peers. Social trends, such as smaller family size, may reduce the role of family members and increase the importance of nonkin peers in providing help to the elderly. Relationships with peers have a greater influence on the well-being of the elderly than do interactions with family members. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of perceived reciprocity of aid exchange and relationship quality among elderly female nonkin peers from a social exchange perspective. A review of the literature led to the hypotheses that perceived reciprocity of instrumental, social, and total aid exchange would have a curvilinear association with relationship quality. The volunteer sample of 62 women over 60 years of age participated in interviews tapping help given and received, demographic data, and relationship quality. Respondents were more likely to be widowed and to have lower incomes than the general population; the average respondent's health was fair to good. A series of three polynomial regression analyses were used to determine if perceptions of reciprocity in aid exchange had a linear or curvilinear association with relationship quality. Data suggest that respondents perceived a greater exchange of socioemotional than instrumental help and reported giving more help than they received. The perceived amount of help exchanged was low compared to other studies while perceived relationship quality was relatively high. Regardless of the operationalization of reciprocity as a linear or a curvilinear term, perceived reciprocity among older female nonkin peers was not helpful in explaining variance in relationship quality. This lack of association held for perceived reciprocity in instrumental, socioemotional, and total help exchanged. Limitations in the study and possible reasons for the nonsignificant outcomes are addressed. / Graduation date: 1993